Standing on the hill overlooking Kobane from the Turkish side of the border you can hear explosions and gunfire as the battle for the city continues between forces of ISIS and the Kurdish fighters of the YPD and YPG. 500,000 people lived in Kobane. That makes I bigger than Glasgow. Now under 10,000 are left to defend it.
People say the American aircraft usually come in the morning and drop a few bombs and the the fighting continues. They think this is more for show than a serious effort to force ISIS back. If they were serious they would do more fo attack the ISIS forces on the hills surrounding the city. However the Kurds on the Turkish side of the border including 200,000 refugees believe that they are winning and that they will be going ba k go their homes soon.
Our delegation interviewed Fayza Abdi who is the co-President of the Kobane Legislative Council. She was in Kobaane till 2 weeks ago. She came to the town of Suruc just over the border in order to work in supporting her people who elected her 10 months ago when they established the canton – an autonomous administration. Her 2 daughters remain in Kobane assisting the fighters. She said, “I am waiting minute by minute to return.”
Referring to the 170,000 Kobanis now living in tents in the refugee camps she said they say, “We want to live in tents but in Kobane.”
Also on the hill overlooking this symbol of the struggle against ISIS and for a democratic society built by the people cfom the ground up are also a large number of Turkish tanks which do nothing but symbolise the Turkish states inactivity I helping either the defense of the city or the refugees.
However I is to the men and especially the women of Kobane that we must look for action. They are the future not just for Kobane but for the whole region.
Stephen Smellie 
Good blog I could have came with you,it is a strange “war” who is supporting who?
I should have clarified. Kobane is not a Kurdish issue. It is a humanitarian issue. We all need to think how we respond to the crisis. Some immediate demands the Kobanis and Kurds ask us to consider
1. Demand that our Government pressurise the Turkish Government to allow a Humanitarian corridor to be opened to allow aid and materials into Kobane ro both assist in ots defence and its rebuilding.
2. Send urgent medical equipment to the municipality of Suruc to treat the refugees, and
3. Send money to support the refugees.